FIG. 1 depicts a schematic diagram of wireless local-area network (LAN) 100 in the prior art. Wireless local-area network 100 comprises stations 102-1 through 102-K, wherein K is a positive integer, and shared-communications channel 103. Stations 102-1 through 102-K are typically associated with host computers (not shown), such as notebook computers, personal digital assistants (PDA), tablet PCs, etc. Stations 102-1 through 102-K enable communications between (i) the host computers or (ii) the host computers and other devices, such as printer servers, email servers, file servers, etc.
Stations 102-k, for k=1 through K, transmit data blocks called “frames” over shared-communications channel 103. If two or more stations transmit frames simultaneously, then those frame transmissions can interfere with each other, resulting in what is called a “collision”. Local-area networks, therefore, typically employ a medium access control (MAC) protocol for ensuring that a station can gain exclusive access to shared-communications channel 103 for an interval of time in order to transmit one or more frames. A “protocol” is a set of communications procedures that relate to the format and timing of transmissions between different stations.
In wireless local-area networks that are based on the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 standard, the medium access control protocol is based on a mechanism called “carrier sense multiple access” (CSMA), in which station 102-k can detect whether shared-communications channel 103 is busy or idle. If shared-communications channel 103 is busy, station 102-k will wait until the channel is idle before attempting to transmit a signal that conveys a frame. Meanwhile, station 102-k monitors shared-communications channel 103 and reads the address information contained in each transmitted frame to determine if another station is transmitting a frame to station 102-k. 
Protocols that are based on a specific standard, such as IEEE 802.11, comprise a standard set of functions, as well as the messages that support those functions. All stations that are built to a specific standard use the messages in that standard so that those stations are able to understand each other. As long as all stations in the same network (e.g., network 100, etc.) are built to the same standard, they can all understand each other.
Sometimes, it is desirable to add enhanced functionality to at least some of the stations in a network. For example, a network operator or user might want some of the stations in the network to control each other or exchange data in an enhanced way. Often the added functionality requires that stations communicate additional information to each other. The difficulty in adding functionality to a standardized protocol is that once the standard has been ratified—and manufactured to—it is extremely difficult, if not impossible, to change the standardized protocol to accommodate the added functions.
Therefore, the need exists for a way of conveying extended functionality control and management information without some of the disadvantages and costs in the prior art.